Brazil Job Search
With Brazil job search, if you want your job application to be taken seriously you have to consider all national differences. The Brazil job search requires more than just the obvious Brazil CV writing and translation – they require careful preparation.
You will be confronted with problems that in all probability did not even cross your mind when you decided to start Brazilian jobs. Do not take too lightly the influence the Brazil job search can have on the result of your adventure! For example, you will experience the unfamiliar immigration rules and practices, strange job application procedures, bizarre job selection trends and weird management culture.
Most visits to Brazil are trouble-free but you should be aware of the risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks, which could be against civilian targets, including places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers like restaurants, hotels, clubs and shopping areas. In recent years, the Brazilian authorities have carried out a number of investigations and operations against terrorist networks.
You should exercise a high level of security awareness and monitor local news broadcasts and consular messages. Making local contacts quickly and seeking support from other expatriates will greatly increase your comfort and safety.
Brazil is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, however has high unemployment (particularly for ages 15-24: male: 13.9%, female: 23.1%), and visitors who enter the country as tourists are not legally allowed to take jobs. Working without an appropriate visa is illegal. If caught, you may be subject to imprisonment, a fine and/or deportation. You may also be barred from re-entry to Brazil.
Most of the foreign expatriates working in Brazil are working in areas such as engineering or the high-tech sector. Oil and gas companies are particularly big recruiters. A common way to find Brazil jobs is through recommendations of friends, relatives, colleagues, professional associates and industry contacts.
As it is extremely difficult for foreign nationals to find a job in Brazil, one of the few possibilities is to accept a transfer there by a foreign company. Therefore, get information on job perspectives in companies with branches in Brazil or multinational corporations, international organizations, newspapers & magazines, the Internet, language schools and for voluntary work well before leaving your home country.
A further limitation for foreign job seekers is that the Brazilian government seeks to protect its local labour force from foreign competition. Hence, a foreigner wishing to work in Brazil has to demonstrate that his skills are unique and that a native worker cannot fill the vacancy. The Ministry of Labor will then analyze the applicant’s advantages very carefully before accepting the application.
All companies in Brazil have to follow “the principle of proportionality”. This means that at least 2/3 of all employees must be Brazilians and they have to gain at least 2/3 of all paid salaries. This further limits the job perspectives for foreigners. Exceptions to this rule are only made in the agricultural sector.
As a work visa is very hard to obtain and is only issued in certain cases (see visa section), you should apply for it before leaving for Brazil. Yet in order to do that, you will need a pre-arranged job. You will also need your employer to start the application process for your work permit.
The only official language in Brazil is Portuguese. One of the very basic conditions to find a job in Brazil is knowledge of the Portuguese language. However, it differs slightly from Portuguese spoken in Portugal. Therefore, if you intend to come to Brazil and staying for a longer period, you should pay attention to learning the “right” Portuguese beforehand.
Realize the importance of language skills. Many people believe that having studied a foreign language at school or college means you are able to speak that language – but do not be mistaken. Having to convince your boss or pass an interview in a language that is not your native tongue could prove a lot more difficult than you might expect.
You need to accept that not knowing Portuguese will put you at a real disadvantage from the local job seekers. The basic knowledge of Portuguese is considered necessary to cope with daily office life and life outside work.
The Internet is now the best place to access employment information. Internet job sites and services post job announcements from employers and recruiters. Most websites are free and allow job seekers to post their CVs, input job search criteria and scan the site’s database for job openings.
In an effective Brazil job search, you should complement online job search by methods that are more traditional because Brazil jobs are advertised in different ways and some jobs are not advertised in traditional forms at all. More than half of all Brazil jobs are not advertised at all and are filled through referrals or networking. We refer to this as the “hidden job market” and it is a very important aspect of the job search process.
With Brazil job search, quite often, it is not what you know but whom you know
However, it is wise to use as many different job sources as possible to find open positions. This includes national, regional, local, government, college, university and company websites. Your home country’s chambers of commerce and embassies also provide job offers or a list of international companies based in Brazil.
One of the most successful ways to find work in Brazil is through your personal network -recommendations of friends, relatives and colleagues. This type of interpersonal recommendation is generally difficult for expatriates to access, but they can get around it by joining one of many networking groups upon their arrival in the country.
You could also search the websites of large multinational corporations or inter-governmental agencies in Brazil if you have the correct qualifications.
The best-paid jobs are in the public sector but only Brazilian passport holders may apply for these.
When you are in Brazil, the most effective method of finding a job is to walk in and ask. However, most Argentine employers, who are subject to heavy fines if they hire illegally, will not offer a job to a foreigner who does not possess a valid Brazil work permit.
When looking for a job be cautious of fraud. Many agencies and recruiters take advantage of the problematic job situation for foreigners and provide very tempting job offers, which eventually turn out to be false. Do not pay money for any services, as this is always a sure sign of fraud!
Temporary jobs “on black” will never qualify you for a work permit. Furthermore, such unofficial employment can quite often lead to exploitative working conditions. If you are caught, you may be subject to imprisonment and/or be hit with hefty fines or even banned from the country.
Run Brazil job search using the most powerful job-search engine on the Internet!
To run a Brazil job search, simply type keywords into the o que/what box describing the kind of job you want, and enter a city, a province or postal code in the onde/where box. Then click the Procurar/Find button or hit the Enter key on your keyboard.
Careerjet runs a Brazil job search on all of the major job boards, newspaper sites, niche industry sites and corporate job sites. Those include:
monster.br, catho.com.br, careerbuilder.com, learn4good.com, jobcentral.com, greatnannies.com, philips.nl, worleyparsons.com, alexionpharm.com, cisco.com, metodistavilamaria.org.br, nurse-recruiter.com, manager.com.br, acciontrabajo.com, ceviu.com.br, infojobs.com.br,empregos.com.br, curriculum.com.br, fcbrh.com.br, grupofoco.com.br, michaelpage.com.br, projetoqualificar.com.br, jobs2web.com, sybate.com, agilent.com, oilandgasjobsearch.com, rigzone.com, rpc.com.br, theladders.com, resumepromo.com and hundreds more.
If you are unhappy with the presented jobs you may use another powerful job search engine covering the different job sources.
You may run a Brazil job search right now, but when you find some you must apply immediately with your current CV and cover letter.
Remember that your Brazil CV must be targeted, scannable and generate hits.
We recommend that you send your CV together with a cover letter.
Other Brazil Job Search Info
We hope that your Brazil job search has been successful and you have a Brazil visa with a Brazil work permit too. So, if your Brazil cover letter and Brazil CV are ready, you may distribute them to your future employers and start preparing for a Brazil job interview.
Do not forget to take a look at Brazil dress code because how you dress is one of the most important attributes in being hired.
Check the job interview tips dos and don’ts, and find out why people are not hired for available jobs.
In addition, on the international info, job search, visa, work permit, cover letter, CV & resume, job interview and dress code pages you will find many useful tips for overseas job seekers.
Good luck with your Brazil job search!
